My father had a heart attack yesterday. Mum got him to hospital and he's seems ok at the moment, more tests tomorrow. He's 82 and we thought in excellent health. Life can be surprising. One thing however that is not…
Tag: Family
Grandma’s Last Gift
Finishing a book that's been on your reading list for six years always feels like an accomplishment. Especially when it's something my grandmother had specifically requested. Here is my Goodreads review of Michael Baldwin's "The Way to Write Poetry". You…
Hills, Dad’s Lost Ear and a Dog Called Sally
The township of Nambucca is uneven and hilly and I set out this afternoon (my last few days in town for another year or more) to put those bitumen striped hills and gullies to good. Exercise. Along the way I met…
Decisions and Choices
My driver's licence expired back in October, but I only realised yesterday. According to my Australian driver's licence I am a resident of the state of Queensland, but I'm currently staying in the state of NSW with my parents, but…
Panoply
My parents are avid collectors so the challenge for today's prompt wasn't what to photograph, but how to photograph the panoply that is their house. I decided to concentrate on small section of the buttons. © 2016 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Panoply
Crowdfunding for Jerry
Filipino boy Jerry is only 8 and the bravest kid I know. His mother died tragically at Christmas time when he was only four years old and his father died in August this year. Help me adopt Jerry and bring him to Australia.
North-west of Goondiwindi
I’m about 97 miles north-west of Goondiwindi I’ve got a road-train indicating: time to move along and as I pass him on his right I dip my headlights into the night and the voice in my head it’s playin’ a…
Out the Window of the Bus
is our saturday morning. Our funny little family strengthens. © 2016 mel irvine
the hands that held me
I give thanks today for the hands that held me when I was very small. For the hands who blessed and guided me, who brought me here with love. #lovethepeopleyoumeet The past year and a half has been tough. I…
Home
I arrived back 'home' to the Philippines on Saturday greeted by Jerry and the kids of Botongon. I was so tired I hardly remember shooting these videos of Jerry opening his presents. He was so excited and very grateful to…
Over the Back Fence
https://youtu.be/f-Zjyhf1KrA&rel=0 over the back fence winter sun is diminishing into late afternoon golds and dark shady browns. kids cheer a backyard cricket score as i crawl through barbed wiry boundaries into someone’s horse paddock. ‘i don’t know how friendly that…
My Mother’s Garden
my mother's garden is older than me in places (it has places) i have never stood or seen until now, remembering cedar trees (dad planted them when we were little) and weekends spent collecting bush seeds, saplings and native vines,…
The Family Album
where is home these days? maybe home is no longer a place: just photos? © 2015 Melinda Irvine
Just saying hello
Hi Melinda It is hard to believe Lincoln has been gone 1 Year. I am glad you are going to finish your studies. Diane is coming down on the about the 1st October Luke & Shannon have invited me to…
Food and education
I am humbled by a place where 'happy' is food and education education and something to eat for each child 4 sons 3 daughters © 2015 Melinda Irvine
Richard A. Ward: artist and uncle
I have been back in the Philippines exactly one week now and I simply could not have returned if it weren't for my Uncle Richard A. Ward. For many years uncle Richard existed only as a name at the bottom…
Can we go where there are more birds?
My six-year old niece Rosalie loves bids. All wildlife really. She's a lot like her dad at that age. I was really excited when she wanted to come bird-watching with me at the black rock swamp. About half-an hour into our…
What did you write about when you were little?
It seems in my case, not very much. Arriving at my parent's house a few days ago and mum pulls out a heap of scrapbooks of her mother's. They contained the letters we wrote to her when we were kids. I imagine my…
It’s been a long time since my hands have held my little sister
my finger tips are dry but feel well against my cracked lips today they have silenced a whisper parted barbed wire picked wattle and broken a fall cut words from a book older than my mother held a cup of…
The unreasonable expectation of forgiveness
Being born into a very creative family is not without its pitfalls. It would seem that all that creative energy that can express itself so well into plays, poems, songs, music, pipe organs, bark paintings, hand molded and wheel thrown…